Fixture assembly for welding operations

Abstract

A fixture assembly for supporting a plurality of blanks during a welding operation. The fixture assembly includes a frame. A plurality of electromagnets are positioned on the frame for supporting the blanks and for drawing the blanks toward the electromagnets to secure the blanks into a desired position. A plurality of intensifiers are moveably connected to the frame for selectively overlying the top face of one of the electromagnets for clamping the blank against the electromagnet to intensify a magnetic force provided by the electromagnet. A plurality of electromagnet adjusters are each coupled with the frame and with at least one of the electromagnets for moving the electromagnets relative to the frame. A plurality of adjusting pins are each connected to the frame and moveable relative to the frame for adjusting a position of the blanks.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fixture assembly for supporting a plurality of blanks during a welding operation, said fixture assembly including:
 a frame having an upper surface extending along a plane; 
 a plurality of electromagnets positioned on said upper surface of said frame, each of said electromagnets having a top face extending along a plane being parallel to said plane of said frame for supporting one of the blanks and for drawing the blank toward said top face to inhibit relative movement between the blank and said electromagnet upon being activated; 
 a plurality of intensifiers moveably connected to said frame for selectively overlying said electromagnets for being drawn toward said electromagnets over the blank to clamp the blank in place and to intensify a magnetic force provided by said electromagnets when said electromagnets are activated; 
 at least one adjusting pin connected to said frame and moveable relative to said frame for adjusting a position of the blanks relative to said electromagnets prior to activating the electromagnets; and 
 a plurality of electromagnet adjusters each coupled to said frame and at least one of said electromagnets for moving said at least one of said electromagnets relative to said frame after said electromagnets have been activated for closing any gaps between said blanks; 
 wherein said plurality of electromagnet adjusters includes at least one sliding adjuster configured to move one of said electromagnets in a horizontal direction being parallel with said plane of said frame relative to at least another of the electromagnets; and 
 wherein at least one of said electromagnets is rotatable relative to said upper surface of said frame about an axis extending perpendicularly to said plane of said frame. 
 
     
     
       2. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 1  further including a plurality of supports each moveably connecting one of said intensifiers and said frame. 
     
     
       3. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said plurality of supports includes at least one lifting cylinder moveable in a vertical direction being perpendicular to said frame, and wherein said lifting cylinder is configured to move at least one of said intensifiers in the vertical direction. 
     
     
       4. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said intensifiers are each pivotable about a vertical axis being perpendicular to said plane of said frame between an overlying position in which said intensifier overlies said electromagnet in a vertical direction of said vertical axis and a spaced position in which said intensifier does not overlie said electromagnet in said vertical direction for selectively clamping the blanks to the electromagnets. 
     
     
       5. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said at least one adjusting pin includes at least one vertical adjustment pin moveable in a vertical direction being perpendicular to said plane of said frame and configured to adjust a vertical height of the blanks in said vertical direction. 
     
     
       6. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said at least one vertical adjustment pin includes at least one central vertical adjustment pin positioned in a region between a pair of said electromagnets. 
     
     
       7. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 6  wherein said at least one vertical adjustment pin includes at least one outer vertical adjustment pin positioned adjacent to a pair of said electromagnets outside of said region between said pair of said electromagnets. 
     
     
       8. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said at least one adjusting pin includes at least one horizontal adjustment pin moveable in said horizontal direction and configured to move the blanks in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
       9. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of electromagnets includes a plurality of pairs of electromagnets with said electromagnets of each pair aligned in spaced and parallel relationship with one another. 
     
     
       10. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said frame is square shaped, wherein said frame defines four edges and four corners, and wherein said plurality of pairs of electromagnets includes four pairs of electromagnets with each of said pairs of electromagnets positioned adjacent to one of said edges of said frame. 
     
     
       11. The fixture assembly as set forth in  claim 1  further including a plurality of hydraulic lines coupled with said electromagnet adjusters and said at least one adjusting pin for actuating said electromagnet adjusters and said at least one adjusting pin. 
     
     
       12. A method for positioning a plurality of blanks for a welding operation, said method including:
 providing a frame having an upper surface extending along a plane; 
 positioning a plurality of electromagnets on the upper surface of the frame, wherein each of the electromagnets has a top surface extending along a plane being parallel to the plane of the frame; 
 positioning at least two blanks on top of the top surfaces of at least two of the electromagnets; 
 pushing the at least two blanks relative to the frame into a preliminary position with at least one adjusting pin; 
 positioning a plurality of intensifiers of a magnetic material over each of the electromagnets and blanks; 
 activating at least one of the electromagnets to draw at least one of the blanks and at least one of the intensifiers toward the at least one of the electromagnets to inhibit relative movement between the at least one of the blanks and the at least one of the electromagnets; and 
 moving at least one of the electromagnets with at least one electromagnet adjuster to eliminate any gap between the pair of blanks such that the blanks may be welded to one another; 
 wherein the at least one electromagnet adjuster includes at least one sliding adjuster configured to push the at least one electromagnet in a horizontal direction being parallel to the plane of the frame, and wherein the method further includes pushing the at least one of the electromagnets in the horizontal direction with the at least one sliding adjuster; 
 the method further including rotating at least one of the electromagnets about a vertical axis that extends perpendicular to the plane of the frame. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein positioning the plurality of intensifiers over each of the electromagnets and blanks includes rotating each of the intensifiers from a spaced position in which the intensifiers do not overlie the electromagnets and blanks in a vertical direction of the vertical axis to an overlying position in which the intensifiers overlie the electromagnets and blanks in the vertical direction. 
     
     
       14. The method as set forth in  claim 12  further including moving at least one of the electromagnets that has been activated relative to another of the electromagnets that has not been activated. 
     
     
       15. The method as set forth in  claim 12  further including welding the at least two blanks to one another. 
     
     
       16. The method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the at least one adjusting pin includes at least one horizontal adjustment pin moveable in the horizontal direction, and wherein pushing the at least two blanks relative to the frame into a preliminary position includes pushing the at least two blanks horizontally with the horizontal adjustment pin.